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Despite the overly-used straight-laced honors student x misunderstood delinquent troupe this series is fantastic. This is possibly the cutest yaoi I’ve ever read. That might sound weird but it is heavily focused on Chika and Natsuki’s relationship. While there are quite a few sex scenes, they are not quite as lewd as most in the BL genre and it starts off pretty slow in that aspect so if you’re looking for lots of smut this series might not be for you.

The main draw to this series is the characters. I wasn’t sure if I really liked Chika at the beginning but he grew on me. ... Natsuki however, I loved right away. At first glance, the characters seem pretty flat and cliché, they quickly become anything but that. As the story progresses, they become more and more complex.

The art style isn’t exactly anything to write home about but the characters aren’t hard on the eyes either, especially during their college years (not gonna lie, Natsuki is very pretty, especially with his mischievous smile).

The story is pretty simple, almost entirely focusing on the development of their relationship while coming to terms with their orientations and the struggles of young love in high school and later university. Their relationship starts out pretty rocky as Chika is very reserved at first and has a very difficult time with communication and expression of his feelings. Natsuki is similar yet different in that he tends to only express anger, frustration and irritation. He expresses those quite well in a very blunt and sometimes brutal fashion but as their relationship progresses they (very) slowly learn to open up to each other. (Not gonna lie, they both can be pretty massive assholes though.)

Bonding over books is possibly the cutest way I’ve seen to start a relationship and it works pretty well in context. Their relationship and struggles are actually more realistic and relatable than many things I’ve read in the BL genre, making this story all the more heartwarming and enjoyable to read. (It also makes the sex scenes way hotter despite the toned-down lewdness.)

In my opinion this manga series is a hidden gem that deserves far more attention then it gets. I highly recommended it to any reader of the genre who is ok with less frequent and toned-down sex scenes.

Warning: this manga is ridiculous and silly but also deceiving so if you’re looking for pure comedy this series is not for you. I would also recommend looking at the art style before diving into this series as it very over-the-top and some may find it to be too much.

The main draws to this manga are the characters and art style. The characters are almost entirely loveable, especially the main 4. The gloomy, depressed and “empty” Jyuugo finally starts to feel happiness for the first time in his life in this over-the-top super-max prison because of the 3 others despite his horrific past which is ... so heartwarming to see. The playboy gambler Uno (who is the “mom” of the group) doesn’t change much is dedicated entirely to helping his friends find happiness. Rock, who was previously highly aggressive and violent starts to become mellow and laid-back after finding passions that exceed his love of fighting. Finally, the sweet, childish Nico finds happiness in anime, manga and video games. Previously, he had lived in non-stop fear, pain and hopelessness but after being rescued initially by Jyuugo and later the other 3, he is finally able to feel joy and live the childhood he was deprived of. Watching these often ridiculous and over-the-top characters finally achieve happiness despite their pasts is so heartwarming and you can’t help but feel happy for their friendship.

The art is so extra but that’s what makes it fun. The constant sparkles, bright colors and over-the-top patterns were initially jarring to me but I really grew to love it. It really helps show the silly comedy that this show is based around. It also makes it all the more powerful when the color pallet turns bleak during the more serious scenes. It also receives bonus points for Jyuugo’s ridiculously pretty eyes. They are both different colors and change colors from panel to panel to counter his unusually dull color palette.

The comedy in this show is equally silly and over-the-top but this manga is definitely not entirely a comedy. It gets pretty serious and depressing but the tone shifts are never jarring as one might expect. They pretty seamlessly flow from a lighthearted comedy to a pretty dark drama and back very quickly which tends to be hard to find in similar manga. The comedic stories and premise are often pretty unrealistic and at times make no sense but when it comes to the serious storylines the tend to hold back but let me be be clear: this manga is not realistic at all so if you’re looking for something realistic this manga is not for you. I find that makes it fun but others may not agree.

Overall, it might not be the highest quality story-wise (though it’s not bad either) but instead the enjoyment factor comes from the characters and art style. I absolutely love this manga and recommend it to anyone looking for something simultaneously silly and dark.

This is one of my all-time favorite shows. It fully embodies a feeling of melancholic peace as this strange world is explored. The tragically beautiful stories Kino hears and experiences on her journey left me contemplating human nature as each episode embodies human flaws and strengths in its own unique way.

At first, I wasn’t so sure about the art style, but it grew on me as I generally tend to watch shows with pretty generic modern animation styles but it grew on me quickly. The muted colors perfectly portray the bleak tone of this show, while Kino’s minimal facial expressions portray the character’s personality wonderfully.

It ... really is an incredible watch and I believe this show profound effect on my perception of what anime can be beyond the popularly-endorsed themes I had come to expect. This show truly was a wonderful experience to watch and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.

If I had to describe this anime in one word, that would be beautiful. It is both melancholy and sweet, providing a sense of peace in the tragic and chaotic world this anime is set in.

There are only a few characters besides the main and they appear a few times to provide context to the story that provides very little.

Ginko provides hope to those need it the most with no desire for anything in return. Due to his circumstances he decides to do this on his never ending journey, providing the peace to others he can never achieve himself. It truly is a beautifully ... tragic story.

What makes this anime so great is it’s charm. It is cute and silly with cliched secondary characters but they are lovable nonetheless. Tanaka and Ōta have an adorable dynamic which makes them all the more lovable.

This show leaves you with a feel-good vibe and is highly recommended to watch when you’re having a bad day.

The art style is pretty simple and basic but it doesn’t really need anything more. In fact, I think the simplicity suits this show rather well. This show does not try to be in your face which is a nice refresher from the action and horror shows I tend to ... watch.

TLDR: This is a laid back and refreshing anime and is perfect to watch on a bad day. It is cute and silly.